As a result of rising fuel costs and emissions concerns, the transportation industries are looking for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives for powering vehicles. In particular, this has resulted in the development of electrically powered locomotives, including hybrid and electric locomotives.
Traditional locomotives are typically powered by diesel electric engines in which a diesel motor drives an electric generator that produces power to drive the traction motors and other locomotive systems. The use of a locomotive energy system that is further able to capture energy generated by the traction motors during regenerative braking is one solution for increasing the efficiency of the locomotive. For example, batteries may be used to capture and provide energy for hybrid locomotives. For batteries to provide a feasible solution to the energy requirements of locomotives, a practical method of controlling and implementing these systems under the size and weight constraints of a locomotive is desirable.
One solution for energy management of hybrid locomotives is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,758 B2 (“the '758 patent”). The '758 patent is directed to a hybrid energy locomotive system having an energy storage and regeneration system that may purportedly be located in a separate energy tender vehicle. The energy storage and regeneration system captures dynamic braking energy, excess motor energy, and externally supplied energy and stores the captured energy in one or more energy storage subsystems, including a flywheel, a battery, an ultra-capacitor, or a combination of such subsystems. The energy storage and regeneration system can be located in a separate energy tender vehicle, which is optionally equipped with traction motors. An energy management system is responsive to power storage and power transfer parameters, including data indicative of present and future track profile information, to determine present and future electrical energy storage and supply requirements. The energy management system controls the storage and regeneration of energy accordingly.
Although the system and method disclosed in the '758 patent may store and regenerate energy on a locomotive, the system and method disclosed in the '758 patent may still suffer from a number of possible drawbacks. For example, the system and method disclosed in the '758 patent does not incorporate a flow battery system into a locomotive, nor does it disclose a method of controlling a flow battery system to regulate the output current of the reaction cells. Additionally, the '758 patent does not disclose a method of powering an auxiliary load when the system is in standby. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an energy distribution system and method that enables transfer of energy among locomotives in a consist.
The presently disclosed systems and methods may mitigate or overcome one or more of the above-noted drawbacks and/or other problems in the art.